Resources
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March 5, 2020
Press Release: Forum Announces Wyderko's Successor
The Mutual Fund Directors Forum has announced that Carolyn McPhillips, Senior Counsel of the Forum, will succeed Susan Wyderko as President upon Susan's retirement in June 2020.
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February 14, 2020
Webinar Archive: The SEC’s Derivatives Rule: What Fund Directors Should Know
During this webinar, partners from Shearman & Sterling walked through the SEC proposal, with a view toward understanding how the rule will affect you.
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February 7, 2020
Webinar Archive: Benchmark(s): A Necessity, a Standard, or an Absolute?
During this webinar, Paul Ellenbogen with Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., discussed various questions fund directors should keep in mind when it comes to benchmarks.
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January 24, 2020
Webinar Archive: What's New in the ETF Landscape
In this session, KPMG thought leaders reviewed key factors that explain why 2020 will be the year of actively managed ETFs, important considerations for active managers who are developing Active and Nontransparent ETFs, and recent SEC rulings that are changing the ETF landscape.
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January 9, 2020
Webinar Archive: The Value of Active Management: What Fund Directors Need to Know
Members of the Active Managers Council presented the need for a more balanced narrative on the value of active management, the role that active management plays in the markets and the importance of a long-term perspective in evaluating active management's value-added.
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November 21, 2019
Webinar Archive: AICPA Valuation and Accounting Guide Updates' Impact on Registered Investment Companies
This session will familiarize participants with the newly released AICPA Valuation and Accounting Guide, titled, Valuation of Portfolio Company Investments of Venture Capital and Private Equity Funds and Other Investment Companies, which KPMG worked with the AICPA to produce. The session explained when the guide applies to fund investments and how it applies to certain fund investments.
This webinar originally aired on Tuesday, November, 20, 2019.
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October 18, 2019
Webinar Archive: The ETF Rule: One for (Almost) All and All for One
Stacy Fuller and Alyssa Sherman with K&L Gates discussed the new ETF Rule, which will replace the current exemptive relief granted by the SEC to operate exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) for most, but not all, ETFs. The discussion will also focus on portions of the ETF Rule most relevant for Board members, including new policies and procedures required to engage in “custom basket” transactions.
This webinar originally aired on Thursday, October 17, 2019.
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October 3, 2019
Webinar Archive: Recent SEC Guidance on Proxy Voting and the use of Proxy Advisory Firms
This webinar explored how the SEC’s recent interpretive releases on proxy voting matters may impact mutual funds, their investment advisers, and the independent boards that oversee them.
This webinar originally aired on October 2, 2019.
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September 19, 2019
Webinar Archive: MPI’s Annual Survey of Investment Firm Profitability
Economic volatility, the introduction of low and zero-fee funds, and the resulting product and asset flow trends have impacted individual firms differently. Join Meyrick Payne and Sara Yerkey of Management Practice for a discussion of the possible implications of these industry developments on directors’ oversight of profitability during the 15(C) process.
This webinar originally aired on September 18, 2019.
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September 13, 2019
Webinar Archive: What Directors Need to Know about Regulation Best Interest and the Standards of Conduct Rulemaking Package
In June, the SEC adopted the long-awaited rulemaking package relating to the standard of conduct broker-dealers and investment advisers owe when providing advice to retail investors. Stradley partners Sara Crovitz and Larry Stadulis provided an overview of the package, focusing on practical implications for fund directors.
This webinar originally aired on September 12, 2019.
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September 6, 2019
Webinar Archive: It's the Vote that Matters
Mutual Fund proxy campaigns involve numerous moving parts. From varying quorum and passage requirements to diverse and fractured constituents, the process requires the cooperation of multiple entities aligned to achieve a common goal within a tight timeframe. This session covered the process of getting the vote and ensuring the integrity of that vote.
This webinar originally aired on September 5, 2019.
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June 26, 2019
Webinar Archive: Does Your Fund Qualify as a Regulated Investment Company?
Leonard J. DiPietro, CPA, Tax Director and Richard A. Wagner, Partner with Tait Weller discussed distribution, diversification, qualifying income requirements and other RIC qualification issues as it relates to the fund industry.
This webinar originally aired on June 25, 2019.
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June 14, 2019
Practical Guidance on Fund Mergers and Adviser Combinations
Mutual Fund Directors Forum released two companion publications, titled Practical Guidance for Fund Directors on Mutual Fund Mergers and Practical Guidance for Fund Directors on Adviser Mergers & Acquisitions.
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May 16, 2019
Webinar Archive: ETF Conversions: Legal Issues and Board Considerations
This webinar focuses on the fascinating world of converting existing investment products into exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). We will walk through the various products that can be converted into ETFs, the legal requirements, including how the landscape is expected to change if the “ETF Rule” is adopted, and factors fund Boards may wish to consider in connection with these conversions.
This webinar originally aired on May 15, 2019.
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May 8, 2019
Webinar Archive: Excessive Fee Litigation and Enforcement: Recent Decisions and Trends
Dechert LLP partners Cathy Botticelli, Anthony Kelly, and David Kotler discussed the recent Section 36(b) court rulings and the SEC’s approach to reviewing 15(c) materials as part of an investigation or enforcement action.
This webinar originally aired on May 7, 2019.
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April 19, 2019
Webinar Archive: Board Oversight of Closed-End Funds: Leverage, Discounts, Insurgents and Other Topics
Nathan Briggs, a partner at Ropes & Gray, discusses several of the most important issues for directors to consider that are unique to overseeing closed-end funds, including, among others, (a) a closed-end fund’s use of leverage, (b) monitoring a closed-end fund’s discount, and (c) dealing with activist shareholders and insurgent directors.
This webinar originally aired on April 18, 2019.
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April 17, 2019
Webinar Archive: Peer Group Construction: Modern Methods for an Evolving Industry
Paul Ellenbogen and Jeff Tjornehoj from Broadridge presented an engaging conversation about a fundamental element of the 15(c) contract renewal process, fund peer groups.
This webinar originally aired on April 16, 2019.
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April 12, 2019
Webinar Archive: Unbundling Commissions Under MiFID II: Implications for Independent Mutual Fund Directors in 2019 and Beyond
Howell Jackson, Harvard Law professor and independent director at TIAA-CREF, and Steven Stone, Morgan Lewis partner, discussed the issues related to MiFID II for fund directors.
This webinar originally aired on April 11, 2019.
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March 15, 2019
Webinar Archive: Securities Lending: Driving Portfolio Alpha
Securities Lending is an investment tool which is drawing increased interest as a means to generate alpha in your mutual fund portfolio, at relatively low levels of risk. We will discuss how lending functions, how alpha is generated, recent trends in lending supply and demand, and understanding the risks factors. We will talk about what is required of mutual funds and their boards for the oversight of a lending program.
This webinar originally aired on March 14, 2019.
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February 27, 2019
Webinar Archive: Proposed Fund of Funds Rule (Rule 12d1-4): Overview and Key Considerations
Nathan Briggs, a partner at Ropes & Gray, provided an overview of proposed Rule 12d1-4 and discuss some of the key considerations.
This webinar originally aired on February 26, 2019.